Typical hockey stick blades or replacement blades are generally made of a wooden core reinforced with one or more layers of synthetic material such as fiberglass, carbon fiber or graphite. The core of the blade may also be made of a synthetic material reinforced with layers of fibers material. The layers are usually made of woven filament fibers, typically soaked in a resin and glued to the surfaces of the core of the blade. Expandable fibers braids may also be used for recovering the core of the blade.
Canadian Patent Application 2,228,104 discloses a hockey stick comprising a wooden shaft and a composite blade with a pre-form core made of thermoplastic polyurethane foam. The pre-form core is recovered of braided glass socks and layers of reinforcing materials.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,878 discloses an expanded polyvinyl chloride foam core stick wherein the core is covered with meshes of fiberglass or carbon fibers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,857 discloses a hockey stick comprising a shaft section, a blade section and a heel section forming the connection between the blade and shaft sections. The stick comprises a core made of synthetic foam having a first density for the shaft, a second density for the heel and a third density for the blade. The core is covered with three layers of woven materials.
There is a demand for an improved hockey stick blade having specific mechanical properties for specific portions of the blade.